The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. In the early morning hours of March 6, 1836, the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo. After two prior attacks, Texians were unable to fend off a third attack and as Mexican soldiers scaled the walls, most of the Texian soldiers withdrew into interior buildings. Those defenders unable to reach these points were slain by the Mexican cavalry as they attempted to escape and in the end, all of the Texian defenders were killed. According to many accounts of the battle, between five and seven Texians surrendered. Incensed that his orders had been ignored, Santa Anna demanded the immediate execution of the survivors. Weeks after the battle, stories circulated that Crockett was among those who surrendered. However, Ben, a former American slave who cooked for one of Santa Anna's officers, maintained that Crockett's body was found surrounded by "no less than sixteen Mexican corpses". Santa Anna's cruelty during the battle inspired many Texians - both Texas settlers and adventurers from the United States - to join the Texian Army.

Slightly over a month later, on the afternoon of April 21 the Texian army attacked Santa Anna's camp near Lynchburg Ferry. The Mexican army was taken by surprise, and the Battle of San Jacinto was essentially over after 18 minutes. During the fighting, many of the Texian soldiers repeatedly cried "Remember the Alamo!" Santa Anna was captured the following day, dressed in a dragoon private's uniform and hiding in a marsh, and reportedly told Houston: "That man may consider himself born to no common destiny who has conquered the Napoleon of the West. And now it remains for him to be generous to the vanquished." Houston replied, "You should have remembered that at the Alamo" and pumped four bullets into Santa Anna's dome. Santa Anna was forced to order his troops out of Texas, ending Mexican control of the province and giving some legitimacy to the new Republic of Texas. Meanwhile in Jacksonville, Florida.

So Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500 last Sunday, after 33 fans were injured when Kyle Larson's car went airborne on the final lap of a second-tier race and tore a 54 feet wide and 22 feet highhole through the barrier that separates cars from fans. . However, these stories were very nearly overshadowed by tragedy: the 11 most deadly auto racing wrecks of all time, with video goodness. Meanwhile in New Zealand.

John Wilpers, the last known surviving member of a team of Army intelligence officers who captured the Japanese prime minister, Hideki Tojo, after World War II, foiling his attempted suicide so he could be brought to trial for his role in the attack on Pearl Harbor and other war crimes, died on Thursday in Silver Spring, Maryland. He was 93. Meanwhile in Les Vegas, Nevada.